The subject invention concerns an operating device for a storing device which is designed to store primarily elongate objects such as timber, tubing and similar articles and which comprises a frame which is provided with leg members and which is designed to support the objects thereon. The leg members of the device are mounted in such a manner as to allow the storing device to be placed both in a horizontal position for loading and unloading of said objects and in an essentially vertical position intended primarily for storage of said objects, in which latter position the device occupies a considerably smaller ground area than in its horizontal position.
The conventional method of storing elongate objects is to simply push them into horizontal compartments. However, this storage method suffers from a number of disadvantages, both from a handling and storage economy aspect. For instance, when elongate objects are stored in the conventional way they have to be pushed into their individual compartments manually, which is very time consuming and therefore uneconomical. In addition, the operation requires a large physical effort and the strain on the worker's back is considerable particularly, when the objects are heavy, for instance as is the case of battens or tubes. Further, the method makes it difficult to store the articles at high levels out of the worker's normal reach, in which case it becomes necessary to construct gangways or to use ladders. However, ladders are useful only when the articles are comparatively light and short.
A further serious disadvantages inherent in this conventional storing system is that the aisles alongside the storage compartments must be at least as wide as the stored objects are long. This means that considerable space in the subject area remains unused and wasted, which is not economically justifiable, particularly not in indoor storage premises.
One prior-art structure which aims at reducing these disadvantages concerns a storage system in which the compartments are provided with transverse rollers. This construction allows bundled or packaged objects, such as timbers, to be pushed into the compartments as one integral unit. However, a particular pushing mechanism is required to put the bundled objects or units in position, which mechanism comprises a motor-operated steel-frame conveyor belt. The steel frame is quite heavy and a powerful fork lift truck is required for its displacement. A high-rank fork lift truck must be used to deposit the timber bundles in compartments situated above the lowermost storage level. The prior-art construction solves only the problem of handling entire timber bundles. All disadvantages found previously, such as handling a small number of objects, wide aisles and difficult accessibility at high storage levels still remain.